Yesterday, Saturday 16 December 2023 at the end of the morning two ski tourers were caught in an avalanche.
While they were ski touring in the Chéserys sector at the north east end of the Aiguiiles Rouges, on the sunny side of the valley above Argentiere, a snow avalanche took them for several meters. As this was a fresh snow avalanche on a slope of less than 40 degrees, the two were able to swim the avalanche.
When the avalanche stopped, the two skiers were partially buried and they were able to extricate themselves.
A spokesman from the Chamonix PGHM observed that the two skiers were fortunate in a potentially fatal situation. Avalanches can happen at any time in the season, the threat is always present even when the risk for yesterday was set at intermediate 3/5.
Everyone new to skiing off-piste should take a course and kit themselves with a transponder and a shovel.
Le Dauphiné
